St. Paul-to-Woodbury preferred bus route mostly north of I-94

A preferred route for the Gateway Corridor transitway lies north of Interstate 94 from St. Paul to Lake Elmo Avenue, then crosses to the south side of the interstate into Woodbury and finishes at Manning Avenue.

An advisory committee on Thursday approved a plan that solidifies the preferred mode, route and endpoints for the Gateway Corridor, the east metro transitway connecting St. Paul and Washington County.

Officials earlier this month selected bus rapid transit with dedicated guideways over trains for the corridor, and the latest decision was focused on the specific layout for those guideways.

The preferred route lies north of Interstate 94 through Oakdale and Lake Elmo to Lake Elmo Avenue, then crosses to the south side of the interstate into Woodbury and finishes at Manning Avenue.

The plan is still subject to public comment and engineering tweaks. A final Locally Preferred Alternative is expected to be approved by the Gateway Corridor Commission on Aug. 14.

An open house will be held at 6 p.m. Aug. 7 at Conway Recreational Center, 2090 Conway St., St. Paul. Written comments will be accepted through Aug. 13.

The Locally Preferred Alternative choice is an important step in the transit planning process and allows the corridor to be included in the Metropolitan Council's 2040 Transportation Policy Plan, which should be completed by the end of the year. It also allows for project financing.

The Met Council is the Twin Cities regional planning agency that eventually will own and operate the transitway.

The corridor stretches from the Union Depot in downtown St. Paul to Woodbury and beyond.

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A statement from the Gateway Corridor Commission said that "staff will work specifically with the city of Lake Elmo to provide additional information to property owners, businesses and residents that are adjacent to the route."

Area residents who live by the proposed route have voiced concerns about noise, traffic and pollution that could negatively affect them.

Buses will run on dedicated guideways, or roads on which other vehicle traffic is not allowed. There will be 11 transit stations along the route; buses could begin running by 2022.

The project is expected to cost about $400 million, compared with more than $900 million for light rail.

The Gateway Corridor Commission was formed in 2009. A two-year, $1.74 million alternatives analysis study completed in 2013 identified transit options for the corridor, which planners say is congested and in need of transit alternatives for commuters.